Thursday, July 31, 2014

Booknotes IV (July '14)

From the publisher: "Jennifer M. Murray provides a critical perspective to Gettysburg historiography by offering an in-depth exploration of the national military park and how the Gettysburg battlefield has evolved since the National Park Service acquired the site in August 1933. As Murray reveals, the history of the Gettysburg battlefield underscores the complexity of preserving and interpreting a historic landscape. After a short overview of early efforts to preserve the battlefield by the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association (1864-1895) and the United States War Department (1895-1933), Murray chronicles the administration of the National Park Service and the multitude of external factors--including the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War II, the Civil War Centennial, and recent sesquicentennial celebrations--that influenced operations and molded Americans' understanding of the battle and its history."

It was clear in his earlier overview history of the Sibley Campaign that Pittman was interested in the role played by pro-Confederate scouts and irregulars in the Far West. This new book places the focus squarely on those forces, as well as the unsuccessful subversion campaigns employed by sympathizers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico. Special attention appears to be paid to the scout company of "Brigands."